Laboratory Quality Assurance and Quality Control

5.0 IH CM Points, 4.0 CEUs, and 4.0 COCs

Authors: Gobbell Hayes Partners Inc., Nashville, TN.

A self-directed course featuring a laboratory reference manual.

Who Will Benefit:

• Industrial hygienists
• Laboratory bench chemists
• Laboratory QA/QC supervisors
• Laboratory management

 
Prerequisites: A basic knowledge of laboratory analytical procedures and an introduction to statistics or mathematics. This program is an intermediate level course.

Learning Outcomes: At the conclusion of the course students will be able to

• Explore the concepts of quality assurance and quality control
• Describe basic elements required for an effective laboratory QA/QC program
• Identify requirements to implement and evaluate a QA/QC program
• Describe how defined principles affect data for analysis

Course Specifics: The course is designed to assist the student in understanding the concepts of quality assurance and quality control (QA/QC) and how these principles affect data produced during the analytical process. The student will learn the basic elements required for an effective laboratory QA/QC program and what is required to implement a QA/QC program. Information is presented to assist the student in applying the QA/QC procedures to each phase of data production from preparation for sample collection through receipt of a final report in order to reduce or eliminate errors in the process. The course also includes information for ongoing evaluation of laboratory QA/QC programs that help ensure continued improvement in the program.

The program is divided into 12 chapters dealing with different aspects of the QA/QC process. Each chapter contains modules designed to teach a specific concept. The student is furnished with a reading manual containing the training material and a student manual containing questions and exercises designed to reinforce the material. The student will take a final examination after completing the course for CM points and CEUs.

Course Outline:

• Written Quality Assurance Plan
• Quality Control Procedures
• Elementary Statistics
• Errors and Sources of Errors
• Sampling Procedures
• Sample Submittal, Receipt, and Handling
• Analytical Methods and Method Validation
• Equipment Calibration and Maintenance
• Data Validation and Interpretation
• Reporting
• Documentation and Sample Retention
• Quality Assurance Audit Procedures and Corrective Action

Time to Complete: This course will take approximately 40 hours to complete. Students will have up to 12 months from their enrollment date to complete it.

Course Components: Student manual, reading material booklet, and final exam.

This course is temporarily unavailabe for purchase due to revisions and course updates. Questions? Contact the Distance Learning Coordinator, Cinthia Minan, at cminan@aiha.org.